Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
Midnight Mutterings | We are all immigrants
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| Words at the base of the Statue of Liberty that stands over the New York Harbor: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
Rising rents are drowning Washington’s smaller cities
Seattle may have the highest rents statewide, but communities such as Walla Walla and Spokane have seen the most drastic losses in affordability. ||| FROM CROSSCUT.COM ||| Over the past two decades, Walla Walla has become a destination for wine lovers who travel to the region to enjoy some of
Happy New Year
||| FROM HILARY CANTY for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| Looking back on 2023 fills me with gratitude. So many of you supported this community and donated through OICF this past year. We ran three GiveOrcas campaigns in 2023 - Spring, Pea Patch Match, and Holiday. All in all, over
Early childhood education on Orcas: Work and results of Early Childhood Education Initiative
||| FROM JAMES CONNELL for EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ||| Who Are We? For ten years, preschool educators and board members from our three state-certified preschool programs, county early childhood education staff, education and child development experts, along with community advocates and investors have participated in a public/private partnership called the
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
Welcome to our weekly feature, Occam's Razor, from local artist S.C. Watson.
It’s getting quieter in Puget Sound and easier for orcas to find dinner
||| FROM KUOW.ORG ||| Orca conservation groups are thanking commercial ships and other big vessels for slowing down around endangered southern resident killer whales. They are asking vessels to voluntarily reduce their speeds in a section of Puget Sound where orcas are often present. It’s a 22 nautical mile long
In major shift, Northwest Tribes — not U.S. officials — will control salmon recovery funds
||| FROM PROPUBLICA.COM ||| When the Biden administration said it had reached a “historic” legal deal with Northwest Indigenous tribes last week to save endangered salmon, no one could agree on what it meant for the tribes’ costliest and most controversial demand: the removal of four hydroelectric dams that hinder
Newborn orca spotted near Seattle off Bainbridge Island
||| FROM KUOW.ORG ||| Beachgoers and whale researchers were excited to spot a newborn calf swimming with the Northwest’s endangered orcas on Tuesday near Seattle. “Oh my gosh,” schoolteacher Neil Davis said, standing on the beach at Fay Bainbridge Park on Bainbridge Island as a group of southern resident killer
Analysis of Northwest, other salmon hatcheries finds nearly all hurt wild salmon populations
More than 200 studies across 40 years revealed large-scale salmon hatchery programs weaken wild salmon diversity and lead to wild population declines ||| FROM OREGON CAPITAL CHRONICLE ||| For much of the last century, fish hatcheries have been built in the Northwest, across the U.S. and around the world to
Don’t forget to take the Land Bank’s strategic plan survey by January 6
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Land Bank staff and commissioners are seeking broad community input by hosting a month-long, anonymous survey. Click here to begin the survey or visit the Engage platform: engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/land-bank-strategic-plan. The survey takes 10 minutes to complete and includes questions about potential future acquisitions and stewardship priorities, including
Nominations open for OPALCO board positions
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| It’s that time of year when OPALCO members step up to run for the Board of Directors. Nominations are now open for the 2024 election with two positions open: one in District 2 (Orcas, Armitage, Blakely, Obstruction, Big Double,
Investigation of mid-November hunting accident on Lopez Island concludes
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office is sharing an update regarding the completed investigation of the November 18 hunting accident on Lopez Island. The evidence gathered lead to the determination that there was no probable cause that a crime was committed, there was
Socrates Cafe to continue into 2024
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Socrates Café @ Orcas Senior Center – Wednesday, January 3, 1 pm Join us every first Wednesday of the month at 1 pm, following Senior Lunch, for Socrates Café—an inclusive gathering where individuals with diverse perspectives come together to discuss intriguing
Orcas Island Garden Club opens grant process
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| The purpose of the Orcas Island Garden Club is to stimulate knowledge and love of gardening, to cooperate in the protection and conservation of nature, and to assist in the beautification of the community. Giving grants to organizations within our community is one
Dec 30: Jazzin’ with the Classics for Christmas on Orcas at Emmanuel
||| FROM CANDLELIGHT CONCERTS NORTHWEST ||| In our first post-pandemic Jazzin' with the Classics for Christmas, artists and friends from classical and jazz realms meld their musical perspectives and personalities for the fourteenth (!) year at Emmanuel Parish in Eastsound in this unusual collaboration and festive celebration of the Yuletide
Full Moon Tarot | We seek help and learn our natures but it’s not yet time to leap
||| FULL MOON TAROT by NIK SCHULZ ||| December 26, 2023–January 25, 2024 Here’s my interpretation for what Spirit offers for the coming lunar cycle starting on December 26th. Seeking help and really looking into what we want and how to get our needs met is great. Taking a leap
